got to see him in his last performance (so far). But felt the same way as you before I did. so I was unemployed for 3 years, living off governments hand outs, I finally landed a job, I started on Monday, that night my friend said "tom waits is playing on Saturday in San Jose (near San Francisco) we have to go. I had to go into by boss of only a week and explain to him that as extremely grateful I was was for the job and opportunity, I have to go see this and I understand if he had to fire me, he said no, go have a good time, be back on Monday. I went, top 3 days of my life.
DO NOT stop at Chocolate Jesus. There is Sooo much more. Tom Waits is an underrated Nation Treasure. I saw him in Phoenix opening night of his last tour Glitter and Doom. It was the single greatest concert of my life. I just teared up thinking about it. If he ever tours again or plays live just one more time, I swear, I'll throw down an empty Credit Card to get a seat. then I'd travel by Plane, a Train or a Mule to get there.
In 1979 I was in the Rochester, NY train station when I noticed a man about 30 away singing to the piped in music. I knew it was Tom just by the voice. He caught my eye and I just grinned and nodded. Roughly 40 years later my son is in a Boston dive bar and Tom ends up buying him a beer.
I'm very glad that you liked it, preaching the gospel of Tom Waits is often a thankless task, too many people doesn't understand the worlds most famous underground artist. He's an amazing storyteller, most of his songs are stories. Tom is a very "wide" artist that never looks back, he never repeats himself. His latest album Bad As Me (2011) has basically nothing in common with his first album Closing Time (1973), there's stories, music and song on both and that's about it, both are wonderful by its own rights. He appears in movies as well, the roles are usually small but interesting. For example, he was The Engineer in The Book of Eli. My favorite movie is his episode in Coffee and Cigarettes by Jim Jarmush, other cast members are Bill Murray, Steve Buscemi, Iggy Pop and Roberto Benigni. I'll be back with two more suggestions, two songs that are very very different. / Swedish Pete
Not so underground as Chuck E Wies ... one can barely find any video of him ... RIP to one of the all-time, truly underground and under appreciated greatest songwriters and singing performer's of all time .. Chuck E's in Love ..
I saw him live in DC in 1978… the stage was set with a piano and a street light. He came out with a 1/5 of Jack and a carton of Camels…grabbed the light pole and entertained us for 3 hours.
I have been the biggest Tom Waits fan since I was a young teenage boy. I am 63 years old now and there is absolutely NOBODY like him. 100% unique. The Waits catalogue is HUGE and incredible - without doubt one of the, if not THE greatest songwriter of all time. I've actually covered Chocolate Jesus with my band several years ago 🙂Glad you enjoyed it as much as you did. You seem like a lovely human being. I would recommend some other Tom Waits songs but there are so many I would simply say ; " Take a deep dive into his work and prepare to be amazed " Love & Light brother 🙏
Now that you've been introduced to Tom Waits, you will be happy to know that he has an enormous catalogue of albums that's he's been putting out since the early 70's. Tom Waits in performance is very theatrical and yes, unique. His voice, the way he moves, the instruments that he selects to use, bring together a very distinctive and unique sound all his own. He's my absolute favorite artist.
Frist time I heard Tom Waits was on the Red Hot + Blue Cole Porter tribute record from 1990. I was just 18 years old and have been enthralled with him since
Man time is so fleeting, one of the greatest out there! Outstanding JAZZ pianist, singer, composer, poet, actor, author and entertainer - and today only repetitive mass-produced goods are listened to. - Thank you for this song and more of it please!!! How about "Waltzing Matilda". He has put out so many great songs.
His lyrical brilliance in a few stanzas: When the weather gets rough And it's whiskey in the shade It's best to wrap your savior Up in cellophane He flows like the big muddy But that's ok Pour him over ice cream For a nice parfait
My favorite author/singer. I've been listening him for the past 40 years. Every song is different. There's nothing which we can compare. Try 'God's away on business', 'Hell broke Luce' or 'Going out west'.
Waits is difficult to fit into a genre, I call it Jazz Plus. A truly gifted singer songwriter always with something interesting/bizarre to say and a delivery that can make you glad to have ears. He's more popular among musicians than the general populace (at least in the people I know) for whatever that tells you. It will be a satisfying dive for you if you do go down his rabbit hole.
I was 18, making out with my first girlfriend. She had put on Frank's Wild Years, and that album made me STOP what I was doing. My horndog teenager self. That's how powerful his music is.
I was lucky enough to see Tom sing this back in the day at the Wiltern Theatre in L.A. on the Mule Variations tour. Greetings from Southern California.😎🕺
Have you listened to Tom's song "Take it with Me" yet? It's scrawled across the scars of my heart & every time I hear it start, I burst into tears. Tom's version is great, of course - but the Rachel Price live version will devastate you.
I love those great voices from American that we appreciate so much here in France; Tom Waits, Calvin Russell, Neil Young,... i mean great voices not because of the vocal part, that I like very much, but because of their lyrics, their despair sometimes, their cynism sometimes too... I think its part of America's roots with original blues
That's one f**king deep rabbit hole you've just entered 😁 Personal recommendations start with his Rain Dogs and Swordfishtrombone albums and work out from there. The 'cleaner' earlier songs and the dirty junkyard blues of the later. Soooooooo much stuff, I'm jealous you get to hear this stuff for the first time.
Wow interesting.. reminds me a bit of Cab Calloway. Grit and gravel galore. IDK if he can scat like Cab but i bet he does. Use of the mega made it sound like an old victrola. Love it! ❤ and ✌️
It’s also possible that you know songs by famous artists that were written by Waits Jersey Girl/Bruce Springsteen, downtown train/ rod Stewart, Old 55/ Eagles
Everything I knew up to now about Tom Waits, was Bruce Springsteen's cover of Jersey Girl. I wonder why I never dared to listen to him. This was fabulous. I didn't like the mega at first, but I know what he was aiming for... brilliant.
I’ve been listening to Tom for years. This is a great video, but I will say his voice is different on his first recording different Lots of good songs. I hope you keep listening to him. Tom Waits is very dynamic you can’t form an opinion. With just one or two songs.
Nice reaction. Tom Waits is a really fantastic musician - an excellent storyteller who can dip his toe into any genre and make it his own. Hope you check out some more!
Check out Tom Waits (long A sound in Waits. Not short A) in 1977 RockPalaste from Germany. Glad to see you have the same admiration of this song as I do. Tom uses a lot of different sounds weaved into his music in addition to his gravely voice. He also has been in many movies that you may want to check out. Nice review!
As a metalhead you might be interested in knowing that he's worked with Les Claypool of Primus since the 90s! (If you consider Primus metal, anyway haha)
I went to a strip joint in Toronto in the 70's. The stripper was dancing to one of his songs, it was the most awesome thing I ever heard. I was hooked. Love Tom Waits.
Drinking at the Last Call in LA.. Waits and Bukowski.. I still have a lil scar from Bukowski flicking a cigarette but in my face.. tom lives by me in Sonoma.. very low key these days..
I hope you're able to explore more of Tom's repertoire. Tom has made his music many things over the decades, but what it always is is tremendously engaging to listen to.
There's never been another performance like this. Who has the guts to sing through a megaphone. It's performance art, harking back to streetcorner preachers. He's done a bunch of other interesting songs too. BTW, Beth Hart does a decent cover of this song.
Obviously this guy is not for everyone's tastes or preferences, but for us Tom Waits fans, there is nobody like him. Superlatives simply do not do him justice.
One of Tom Waits' more famous songs is 'Downtown Train', which became a number one hit in Canada when covered by Rod Stewart. I prefer Tom's version though.♥your channel by the way.
Fantastic finishing reaction... I will let others give you your next Waits suggestions but welcome aboard.... "I would rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy." Waits on drinking while appearing on Fernwod Tonight.
I love that you are so new to Waits that you don't know how to pronounce his name, ha! Also, i know you're getting loads of suggestios, and they're all good, but try to get your hands on a live show he did in Sydney Australia in 1979. It. Will. Blow. Your. Mind.
Oh and Tom has a ton of works. Lots of folks have covered him. This isn't the best version of this I've heard, and he is something of an acquired taste, but try "Heart Attack And Vine", "Singapore", "Jockey Full of Bourbon", or for really out there try ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-04qPdGNA_KM.htmlsi=QxdDOgatvcawJuk_ "What's He Building?" or "Frank's Wild Years" ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-F3Cty-q73wk.htmlsi=FMGwJG5HfWt8cHiD
Waits. As in I am waiting for Tom Waits. I hope Tom Waits waits for me. That’s how pronounce his name. No hate. Just wait. I set the bait…for the one-eyed sailor.
Tom Walts? lol It's Tom Waits, but also can't think of any specific song he has done that will give you a line into Tom's music. He has changed genres dozens of times, but he keeps focused on brilliant lyrics while using his ridiculous voice
Tom Waits is amazing. If you have a spare few minutes, look up some talk show interviews with him. He frequented the David Letterman show over the years, any one of those interviews/performances are Legendary 😆! The album Closing Time is an oldie but goodie, and swordfishtrombones is more along the lines of this song, but I'd call it more Avant-garde. 🤠
